Car ‘oven’ cooks up sun-dried tomatoes

We’ve turned the corner on seasons here in the Hudson Valley – those 90-degree days are behind us and the feel of fall is in the air. But I have to share with you the last bang I got out of a recent string of 90-degree days that was so hot, I probably could have fried an egg on the pavement, but instead decided to try sun-drying tomatoes – in my car, that is.

It worked famously! Cookie sheets laden with slices of plum tomatoes in the back window ledge of my car took about 9 hours to “cook.”

After six hours, the tomato slices were well on their way to being dried.

Call me crazy, but I had a smile on my face the whole ride into work and back home, enjoying the heady aroma of warmed tomato slices wafting through my head.

I used the luscious San Marzano plum tomatoes I had grown in the garden and sliced them in thirds, laying them out on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. I drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled them with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and a chiffonade of fresh basil.

Some of my co-workers might have thought it a bit strange to see tomato slices spread out in the back window of my car. Those who know me figured I was just cooking up something as usual.

The finished tomatoes were succulent and delicious.

I figured if they could sun-dry tomatoes outdoors in Sicily, I could take advantage of these unusual hot days and dry some tomatoes in the comfort of my car. With all the plums I had harvested, I was considering turning on the oven to slow dry some of them, but it was too hot for that. These were created using no electricity or fuel – only the sun and a closed-up car.

By the end of the day, after nine hours in the car, the outdoor thermometer I had placed inside the car was off the scale at about 130 degrees. When I started the day, the thermometer read 80 degrees. I had to use a pot holder to touch the cookie sheet when I checked on them after six hours in the sun. It was like sticking my head in a hot oven! I bet it was close to 200 degrees in that closed-up car. If I had used a candy thermometer, it might have given me a more accurate reading.

After nearly six hours, the tomatoes slices were close to being ready to use.

These were the most delicious sun-dried tomatoes I have ever tasted.

When I got home, M greeted me at the door and asked what I had on the cookie sheets. He started eating them right then and there. I stored the rest of the dried slices in a jar and layered them with extra virgin olive oil and put them in the fridge. Three cookie sheets of tomatoes produced more than a pint of dried tomatoes.

We’ve been eating them like candy – on top of homemade pizza, on bruschetta and with pasta, tossed with garden pesto.

So while summer may be leaving us behind, I am actually looking forward to another round of 90-degree temps next season. And hopefully, I will have the garden tomatoes to make more of these energy-efficient sun-dried, car-oven tomatoes.

Definitely give it a try, Marie. I can’t believe how easy it is and you don’t have to keep an eye on your “oven.” The sun does all the work for you. It was even funnier to see my husband’s face when I walked in at night carrying cookie sheets from the car. “What’s that?” he asked. And then started eating them right away.

The flavors do intensify this way, Mango, you are so right. I love them too. I’m sorry you did not have your allotment this year so that you could grow some tomatoes. I would gladly give you some of mine. 🙂 My co-workers got a good laugh out of it; the lucky ones got a taste, too!